Market Day

This should have been posted yesterday but my internet was playing up. The OCD inside me is now most upset because the post will read Thursday when it should be Wednesday. Nevertheless.......

Every Wednesday and Saturday there is a market in Kibungo. The streets are extra busy on these days as all the market sellers walk along with their wares (usually on their heads, unsupported by their hands, or strapped to a push bike).

My personal challenge today was to ask for everything in the market using Kinyarwanda instead of pointing to the items or asking in French or English. Granted, I did have a crib sheet with me, but I still managed to complete my task successfully. Last night I made a poster (from a rice sack) to help me learn the words for things I need in the market. It is now on the wall in my living room:

And here is the product of a very long morning's work (pushing past people, agreeing quantities and prices, finding bags to put everything in and lugging it all home):

£3.60 well spent I think. At the time I was particularly pleased to get 5 corns for 20p. However, when I cooked one for dinner, I was not so sure! It tasted very hard and not very sweet. I asked my Guard if corn on the cob is meant for animals instead of people but he told me it was not. He then explained that it had to be cooked over charcoal and he decided to show me how it was done:

Unfortunately the taste was still tough but it was nice to sit with him and talk whilst we ate together.